Kay Nesbit is a victim's rights advocate and public speaker in Australia. Nesbit suffered a shotgun wound that eventually led to 57 operations to reconstruct her face. She later became a victim's rights advocate, public speaker and ran for office in Victoria.
Nesbit's flatmate had been trying to avoid her boyfriend.[1] Nesbit was shot on 11 September 1985 after she told Paul Terrance Mallinder via note that her flatmate didn't want to see him anymore.[2][3][4] Nesbit survived the gunshot, but lost her jaw, part of her nose and her right eye.[5] To help her out, more than $205,000 was raised on her behalf in 1986.[6] The medical team at Alfred Hospital who reconstructed her face used other parts of her body to repair her damaged face.[7][3][8] By 1993, she had completed 31 surgeries at Alfred Hospital.[9] Eventually, she would have a total of 57 operations.[10]
Nesbit's attacker, Mallinder, was found not guilty of "wounding with intent to cause murder" but guilty of "wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm"[13] and sentenced to the maximum permissible 15 years in prison, which was reduced on appeal to 13 years with an 11-year non-parole period.[14] He was released from prison after serving seven years.[4]
